Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight is an asymmetric survival horror game developed and published by Behaviour Interactive. Dead by Daylight was released on the Microsoft Windows operating system in June 2016, and released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One home consoles in June 2017. The game is played exclusively as a one versus four (1 v. 4) online multiplayer where one player takes on the role of the savage Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape the Killer and avoid being caught and sacrificed to the Entity. Among a handful of original Characters, the game also includes unlockable and downloadable (DLC) Characters. Characters from the Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Saw horror franchises are featured. A spiritual successor, Identity V, developed by NetEase and co-developed by Behaviour Interactive, was released for mobile devices in China in early 2018, and was released worldwide in July 2018. Gameplay The player repairing a generator with other Survivors A group of up to four Survivors must elude one Killer. The Survivors' perspectives are third-person, while the Killer's perspective is first-person. Survivors Players assume the role of one of the 15 Survivors, Dwight Fairfield, Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Nea Karlsson, Laurie Strode, William 'Bill' Overbeck, Ace Visconti, Feng Min, David King, Quentin Smith, David Tapp, Kate Denson, Adam Francis, Jeff Johansen, Jane Romero or Ashley J. Williams. The goal of the Survivors is to escape the enclosed area, which can be done in one of two ways: either by repairing a certain number of disabled Generators (always one Generator more than the number of Survivors that spawned into the trial) to provide power to the switch boxes of two Exit Gates leading out of the trial grounds; or by escaping through the Hatch. The Hatch appears when the number of repaired Generators exceeds the number of Survivors that are still alive by one, and opens only when there is only one Survivor remaining in the trial. The Survivors will need a key to open the Hatch if there is more than one person alive. The Survivors' movement options consist of sprinting, walking, crouch-walking or crawling. They must elude the Killer by losing their line of sight in a chase or by successfully hiding from them. Killers As the Killer, players assume the role of either the Trapper, the Wraith, the Hillbilly, the Nurse, the Shape, the Hag, the Doctor, the Huntress, the Cannibal, the Nightmare, the Pig, the Clown, the Spirit, the Legion, the Plague or the Ghost Face. Most Killers only have one form of locomotion, moving at a fast pace, which is moderately faster than the pace of a sprinting Survivor. When hunting the Survivors, the Killer must capture them by either striking them twice with their Weapon (the first hit reduces the Survivor to the Injured State and pushes them a short distance ahead of the Killer, while the second hit drops them to crawling on the ground) or grabbing them in one move by either catching them inside Lockers, while attempting to vault over Pallets or through Windows (these work only when the Survivor is injured), while repairing a Generator, trying to rescue a fellow Survivor from a Hook or attempting to escape through the Hatch. Some Killers have secondary attacks that deal double-damage and put Survivors into the Dying State in one strike. The Killer's goal is to sacrifice Survivors to the Entity, a malevolent being which rules over the Realm in which Dead by Daylight takes place. Caught Survivors are put onto Meathooks located throughout the trial grounds, which starts the sacrifice process, which will take 2 minutes to complete without any outside influences. Some special Add-ons, Perks or the 'Memento Mori' Offerings allow the Killer to bypass the sacrifice process and kill a Survivor directly, with a special animation. The first time a Survivor is hooked, they enter the first phase. In this phase only, the Survivor can try for a low (4 %) chance of escaping from the Hook at the cost of tremendously accelerating the sacrifice process upon failure to escape. Hooked Survivors can also be rescued by fellow Survivors. If the Survivor escapes or is saved and eventually hooked a second time, they will enter the 'struggle phase', in which the Survivor has to resist the Entity trying to stab them by rapidly pressing the Spacebar, X, or A, depending on the platform, until they are either saved by an ally or killed by the 'Entity'. If the Survivor is saved during the 'struggle phase' and is hooked a third time, they will die instantly with no opportunity of survival. The Killer, despite walking at a fast pace, is slower than Survivors in most other movements: after striking a Survivor, the Killer will slow their movement to wipe the blood off of their Weapon. The Killer is also slower in vaulting through Windows and cannot leap over Pallets Survivors can throw down into their path, but instead have to go around the spot or spend some time destroying them. The Killer also has an Aura-reading ability, constantly revealing the location of Generators, Hex Totems and in case of carrying a Survivor, Hooks across the Map. A new mechanic was added in Patch 1.5.0, which introduced 'Bloodlust'. 15 seconds into a chase, the Killer receives a boost of 0.2 m/s to their base movement speed; 30 seconds into a chase grants the Killer a 0.4 m/s boost; and finally, if a chase lasts for 45 consecutive seconds, the Killer receives a 0.6 m/s boost. Bloodlust only lasts until a chase ends after which the movement speed boost will degrade at a rate of 10 % per second spent not chasing a Survivor, with breaking a Pallet or injuring a Survivor instantly removing it completely. Perks Survivors and Killers each have the option to utilize up to four Perks in their load-out, that give their Characters special abilities. Each Survivor starts off with a set of three Perks that are unique to them and must first be unlocked before the other Survivors can use them. These perks can be unlocked and upgraded in the Bloodweb using Bloodpoints and each Bloodweb can only hold up to two perks. These perks can range from giving a burst of speed when running from the Killer, to being able to self-heal without a first aid kit, to unlocking the ability to sabotage meat hooks without a toolbox. There are also a multitude of 'universal' perks that are available to be used by any Survivor. General Gameplay In dealing with the Killer, Survivors can also make use of a handful of Items – searching Chests inside buildings will sometimes yield Med-Kits (which allow the Survivors to heal themselves rather than wait for a teammate), Flashlights (which can be used to temporarily blind the Killer and rescue a Survivor that the Killer is carrying), Toolboxes (which can be used both to repair Generators faster and to temporarily sabotage Hooks and Bear Traps), Keys (do a variety of things depending on their Add-ons and may be used to open the Hatch), Maps (which track objectives and reveal their Auras). One resource that Survivors can use are massive wooden Pallets, which are placed upright, and can be pulled down when a Survivor runs past them – if the Killer is right behind them, the Pallet will momentarily stun the Killer if it successfully hits them. Other technical advantages that Survivors have include the ability to see the Aura of downed and hooked teammates – thus easily drawing them to their location for a rescue – and can similarly see the locations of newly repaired Generators and the Exit Gates for a short period of time once all necessary Generators are repaired. When the Killer is near, the Survivors will hear a heartbeat, and eventually tense music, both of which increase in intensity with proximity to the Killer. They can also see a red light (called the "red stain") emanating from the Killer's head, which reveals the direction which they are facing. Objectives Interacting with most objects and actions in the game causes random Skill Checks to trigger. Right before a skill check triggers, the player will receive a noise notification, and a needle within a circle will then appear on-screen. The player must hit the action button, when the needle is within a certain randomly chosen section of the circle before the needle passes it. The player can hit either a Good Skill Check or A Great Skill Check. Hitting a Good Skill Check grants 50 Bloodpoints, and a Great Skill Checks grants 150 Bloodpoints and an instant 2 % bonus to progression on the generator. Failing a Skill Check has multiple consequences based on the action being taken. Repairing each Generator takes a lengthy period of time and makes a rather small mechanical noise during the process. Failing a repair Skill Check will cause an explosion that will set the progress of the Generator repair back and make a loud noise alerting the Killer to the Survivor's location. Killers have the ability to damage Generators, which will regress them over time. Sabotaging a Hook takes a significantly shorter amount of time than repairing a Generator but is considerably louder. To sabotage a Hook, Survivors must be equipped with a 'Toolbox’ or have the Saboteur Perk active. Skill Checks are more common during this action than when repairing a Generator. Failing a Sabotage Skill Check makes a loud banging sound, momentarily halting progress and alerting the Killer. Sabotaged Hooks will respawn after three minutes have elapsed. Special Event Hooks and the Basement Hooks cannot be sabotaged. Healing yourself or your allied Survivors can take drastically different lengths of time depending on multiple factors such as if they have a Med-Kit, certain Perks active, Killer de-buffs and whether the Survivor is healing themselves or an ally. Skill Checks are as common as when repairing but have a slightly less severe consequence when failed. Failing a Healing Skill Check still reduces the progress of the action but the wail made by the Survivor being healed is quieter than the other explosions and bangs, but still alerts the Killer of the location within a certain range. If a Survivor is caught by the Killer, they are picked up and usually carried to the nearest Hook. During this time they can attempt to wiggle out of the Killer's grasp before they reach the Hook, and attempt to run away. If the Killer succeeds in impaling a Survivor on one of the many Hooks in the area, a teammate can rescue the impaled Survivor or, more rarely, the impaled Survivor (with a 4 % chance) can rescue themselves from the Hook. Once all Generators are repaired, a Survivor must find a switch next to one of two Exit Gates and hold it for 20 seconds in order to open the door. The game only ends when all Survivors have either escaped or have been killed – thus, while some Survivors may escape and finish early, those still inside must keep playing. Players who have escaped or died have the ability to observe the remaining players through the game's conclusion, or return to the menu and join a new game. If only one Survivor remains then repairing Generators can become nearly impossible. An alternative escape method would be to use the black lock, commonly known as the 'Hatch', which spawns in a random area after the number of Generators repaired equals one more than there are Survivors left alive in the game (i.e. three Generators repaired with only two Survivors still living). The Hatch spawns closed but when only one Survivor remains then it will open automatically. While closed it can be opened if one Survivor has a 'Dull Key' or a 'Skeleton Key' and will remain open for 30 seconds, allowing any remaining Survivors to hop in and escape.12 Bloodweb Both Survivor and Killers are able to unlock Items, Perks, Add-ons and Offerings through the Bloodweb. Every action performed in a trial awards the player a number of Bloodpoints, and the sum are added to the player's total at the end of the trial. Each level of the Bloodweb is procedurally generated, and gets larger as the Character gains levels. The rewards are connected to each other in a radial tree, and players must purchase rewards along the progression path to gain access to others. Once every reward on the tree has been purchased, the Bloodweb will generate a new level for the player to progress to, increasing that Character's level. Once the Character reaches Level 50, they will be given the option to prestige. While given the option, they will still be able to buy things from the Bloodweb, but will not further increase their Level. Once prestiged, Characters will reset their progression and receive one of their default customisation options in a blood-splattered variation. One can prestige their Character up to three times. The Bloodweb may contain Items and their Add-ons, Offerings that can be spent at the start of the round to influence the trial's conditions, and Perks that make the Character more powerful. Offerings and Add-ons may only be used in one trial, whereas Items can be re-used until the player dies, uses up all the charges of an Item or gives it to another player. Items can also be acquired from Chests on the map, but this does not affect the Character's Bloodweb. Setting Realms The game takes place across eleven Realms which are based on the places the Killers became murderers: The MacMillan Estate (Trapper), Autohaven Wreckers (Wraith), Coldwind Farm (Hillbilly), Crotus Prenn Asylum (Nurse, Clown)13, Haddonfield (Shape),14 Backwater Swamp (Hag),15 Léry's Memorial Institute (Doctor)16, the Red Forest (Huntress, Plague)17, Springwood/Badham Preschool (Nightmare)18, Gideon Meat Plant (Pig)19, Yamaoka Estate (Spirit), and the Ormond Slopes Resort (Legion). Over time, the evilness of their actions accumulated there until it attracted the attention of the Entity, an unknown force of darkness from a place with no name. Most Realms are split into multiple Maps with similar features but small variations. Buildings Every Realm and Map features a map-specific building or landmark that remains in the same place in the map every game. Every map also features a building known as 'The Shack' which is the same throughout all maps and appears in one of a few predetermined locations in the map, with the exception of the two indoor maps, Léry's Memorial Institute and Gideon Meat Plant. Every new game, a room known as the 'Basement' is placed under either the map-specific building or the shack. The Basement is a special room consisting of one item chest for the Survivors to scavenge in, and four cabinets for them to hide in. It's also home to a special four-pointed hook that cannot be destroyed or tampered with in any way by Survivors. The basement only has one way in, making it a very secure place for Killers to bring their victims without fear of other Survivors saving them. Because of this danger, Survivors are awarded a small number of points for even venturing into the basement. Plot The Entity, a supernatural being hailing from the ancient blood web, is awakened from its slumber whenever it is summoned by actions of great violence and malice. The Killers, exclusively serial murderers, are pulled out of reality by it and convinced to do its bidding. In order to maintain its existence, the Entity requires sacrifices, and demands that they hunt and kill the Survivors so it can feed off their hope and steal a piece of their soul upon death. Then they are brought back to life to repeat the trial, endlessly attempting to escape. The Survivors are pulled into the Entity's constructed world when they wander too close to the places the Killers were taken from, disappearing from the real world without a trace. They end up at a lonely campfire, where they rest between trials, until a Killer pursues them again. Each trial takes place in a series of realms constructed by the Entity of areas from where the Killers were taken. The Survivors' only hope of escape is to complete a series of generators scattered throughout each realm to power up large gates to escape. If the Killer has killed all but one Survivor, the Entity will offer the latter a final means of escape in the form of a hatch. Escaping from the grounds always takes the Survivors back to the campfire, and offerings can be created to be burnt at it and appeal for the Entity's favour. Since the Entity feeds off the hope of the Survivors to escape, it helps them just as much as the Killers, acting as an impartial observer of the hunt, stepping in only to claim those hung on its hooks. Downloadable Content Behaviour Interactive has as of February 2019 released 12 individual DLCs in total. Each DLC has included both a new Survivor and Killer except for four that separately introduced two killers and two survivors respectively (Left Behind, LeatherFace, Ash vs Evil Dead and Ghost Face Chapters). The DLC's release with an average of three months interval between each one. Prior to the release of every DLC, a Public Test Build (PTB) is discharged, which allows the developers of the game to test and receive community feedback on the major upcoming changes. Once the PTB has been out for roughly two weeks, it is removed for further maintenance, e.g. bug fixing, adding missing features, etc. before the DLC gets released. The estimated time span between the opening of the Public Test Build and a new DLC's release is approximately 2-3 weeks. 5 out of the 12 currently released DLC's have featured licensed Killers and Survivors from both popular horror franchises and other video games. The DLCs can be acquired in two ways; by either purchasing them normally through Steam, or non-licensed characters can be purchased through a shop within the game using an in-game currency called Iridescent Shards. This alternative way of obtaining the DLCs was introduced in the 2.0 update (Curtain Call DLC). Each DLC has its own trailer and a so-called "spotlight" that exhibits the Killer and Survivor as well as a new in-game map. The relevant DLC does not need to be purchased in order for any map to be played on. Three DLCs, The Last Breath, Left Behind, and A Lullaby for the Dark, have been distributed for free. Cosmetics Along with the Curtain Call DLC that was released on June 12, 2018, the developers also released a cosmetics store which allows you to use Iridescent Shards or Auric Cells. In the store, players can use the Iridescent Shards or Auric Cells to buy cosmetics for their Survivors or Killers. They would be able to buy a set chosen by the developers for a discount instead of individually buying it. Licensed Survivors and Killers (Shape, Cannibal, Pig, David Tapp and Laurie Strode etc.) will not have any cosmetics released for them. Although this procedure may seem like a way to make their Survivors or Killers more presentable, Auric Cells can only be bought with real money. If the player wants to use Iridescent Shards, it would take a longer time. Reception |} Dead by Daylight received "mixed or average reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic.20 GameSpot awarded it a score of 6 out of 10, saying "Dead by Daylight executes the concept of a competitive horror game well, but only to a point." Category:Video Games